Public.com is a social investing app that makes it possible to own the companies you believe in with commission-free trading. Build a portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and crypto—all in one place. Are you looking to start investing?
What is Public.com?
Public investing app is a brokerage firm offering taxable brokerage accounts. You can trade stocks, fractional shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and cryptocurrencies. All trades are made through the mobile app with zero commission fees. The community of investors can support Public.com’s mission with the optional tipping feature.
The Public app focuses on building your investing knowledge, fostering social interaction, and supporting long-term investing.
Download the Public investing app and get a $10 slice of stock.
If you’re new to the investing journey, Public.com is great for a first-time investor. You can quickly build a stock portfolio for long-term growth with an intuitive design.
All securities and investments are offered to self-directed customers by Open to the Public Investing, Inc, a member of FINRA & SIPC.
How Public.com App Works?
Public is a free app and a safer way to invest in the stock market. If you have a minimal understanding of the stock market and limited funds, then it’s an excellent option to consider. With the Public investing app, you can do the following:
- Buy and sell individual stocks, fractional shares, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
- Research company and evaluate stock price.
- Engage with a community of investors and experts.
- Get news alerts for the companies you invest in and follow.
You can invest in stocks and funds for as little as $5 as a stock slice. Buy them by the slice or an entire share of stock.
Please understand that all investments involve risk, and the past performance of a security does not guarantee future results or returns. Investors should consider their investment objectives and risks carefully before investing.
Features & Benefits
Public.com offers a friendly and intuitive user interface.
- Trading in stocks and ETFs – Invest in common stocks and the original ETFs from Vanguard, BlackRock, and others. Mutual funds are not supported.
- Buy fractional shares – Buy a “slice of stock” or ETFs, no matter the price per share, and in real-time.
- Public community – follow friends and expert investors, share insights, and interact with others.
- Social feeds: see what others are investing in and improve your financial literacy.
- Lives: Participate in live discussions with industry experts and business leaders.
- Group message and chats – start or join group chats to discuss companies and trends. Talk about investments with one person or up to 100. Embed dynamic charts or reference other investors directly in the conversation. Share Zoom-like links to invite other people to join your group.
- Earn free stock – Grow your portfolio by making your friends investors through a generous referral program.
Public employs Bank-Grade security with AES 128-bit encryption and TLS 1.2 to secure data in transit. The company is also a member of SIPC so all members automatically qualify for protection on up to $500,000 in your account. See SIPC for details.
Minimum Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Valid Social Security Number
- Legal U.S. residential address
- Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or have a valid visa
Fees
- Trading fees: $0
- Minimum Deposit: $0
Public.com does not charge commission fees but provides users a way to pay for the service by tipping with each trade. Tipping is optional.
Who is it best for?
The Public investing app is best for new investors with little knowledge. But, it’s also great for advanced traders and experts who want to share their investment experience.
Open an account and get a stock bonus today.
Public Review
Public.com is a legitimate company and not a scam. It’s a trusted commission-free brokerage app helping a community invest, engage, and learn. Public.com is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars in the App Store.
In our Public investing app review, we learned it’s a safe investing app and offers a remarkably different experience compared to Robinhood and Webull. Public.com is on a mission to create long-term investors, not stock traders. No day trading is allowed, no margin loans, and no complex investment securities.
The mobile app, available on iOS and Android, is user-friendly and has a sleek interface.
For many, stock market investing can seem complicated. Fortunately, Public has made a seamless investment app focusing on financial knowledge and community interaction. Although the Public community is excellent, it’s wise to be mindful of others’ financial advice or investment ideas. Remember always to perform due diligence.
You can get started with the Public investing app here.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- User-friendly and intuitive interface
- No account minimums
- Fractional shares of stocks and ETFs
- Community engagement
Cons
- No website access, brokerage only accessible via mobile app.
- Limited research tools, data analysis, and charts.
How to open a Public.com account
The time needed: 3 minutes.
Step-by-Step to Public investing app
- Get started
- Create an account by clicking on the link here.
- Enter your phone number
- Download the app from the texted link.
- Submit your application
- Provide your first and last name, social security number, and address.
- Link your external bank account.
- Fund with a link bank account or debit card
Public.com Alternatives
There are a few alternatives to Public.com, such as SoFi Active Investing, Webull, and Robinhood.
For investors looking for financial advice or mutual funds, review M1 Finance or Betterment. Want more options? Check our five best online brokerages or shop the marketplace.
How does Public.com earn money?
Public.com has shared that the company makes money through interest earned from uninvested cash balances, optional tipping, and securities lending to banks, market makers, and institutional investors.
Public versus Robinhood: which is better?
Both Public and Robinhood offer easy-to-navigate and user-friendly investing apps. However, Public differentiates itself with a community feature that enables users to engage and learn from one another. You can create a profile and publicly show your portfolio and trades. The team is also very active in the chat. In contrast, Robinhood still lacks enhanced features but continues to be the largest investing app used by millennials.
How to Contact Public Investing App Customer Service?
Public.com does not have a telephone number listed to reach customer support. However, you can get customer support via the following:
- Use the in-app chat feature. Log into your account, select your profile income, scroll down to Help Center, and send a message.
- Email directly to support@public.com
- Reach out on social via Twitter or Instagram
- Send snail mail to: Public, 6 Harrison Street, Floor 5, New York, NY 10013
by Jason Vitug
Public Review: Is it Right for You?
In this Public stock app review, I hope you learned the main details to help you decide to use the app. With Public, your fractional trades are executed in real-time compared to other apps offering the same feature.
Explore stocks the way you see the world based on themes. Public removes the jargon and offers curated lists to help you discover new companies. You can buy fractional shares of stocks or ETFs so owning shares (or slices of shares) of Amazon and Google is possible. The trades are public and you can view the portfolios of others. who may not have a lot of money to start with but are looking to create long-term portfolios. It’s great for those who prefer more guidance and community interaction. It’s simple interface makes trading easy and community features make investing approachable.
Pros and Cons
Pros
✓ Sleek interface makes investing easy.
✓ Fractional shares
✓ Community features to follow other investors and learn.
✓ Themes to discover new stocks.
Cons
☓ No web access; mobile-only
To summarize, Public is a legitimate and commission-free online brokerage offering you the ability to build long-term portfolios with fractional shares and community sharing features. You can use Public to help you learn more about investing as it uniquely integrates education.
If you’re a more seasoned investor, you have other options that offer more bells and whistles such as deeper analytics and financial planning. Public doesn’t offer retirement accounts or custodial accounts.
by Ann
Best is community. Learning and having good chats.